This site contains two books - over 250,000 words - detailing the history of Elgin, Illinois. Both books are complete and simple to search.
Elgin:
Days Gone By
This is an anectodal history of Elgin written by E. C. Alft, author
of many other books pertaining to the history of Elgin, Illinois. As stated
in the preface, "This book is not a narrative of the settlement of Elgin,
nor of the growth and decline of its dairy and watch industries, nor of
its more recent development as a service center. Rather, it is a selection
of vignettes, revised and in several cases expanded, which were published
in the "Days Gone By" column of the Daily Courier-News beginning in 1981.
Elgin:
An American History
This is the best and most complete history book ever
written about Elgin, Illinois. Written in 1984 for Elgin's sesquicentennial
by E. C. Alft, Elgin: An American History is a detailed and compelling
history of Elgin from its humble beginnings into the mid 1980's.
If you want to learn about Elgin, this book is required reading and your best starting point.
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